Presenting our 2021 PIFF/LA judges!
Take Two films are in competition for the following categories: Best Feature, Best Documentary Best Short, Best Screenplay (Feature/Short), Best Director (Feature/Short), Best Ensemble (Feature/Short), Best Cinematography and Best Editing. There will also be an “Audience Award” recipient. The panel of judges includes: filmmakers Gabriela Revilla Lugo (“Palm Springs”), Ana Lydia Monaco (“Meeting Brown”); film critic Carlos Aguilar, and Angela María Ortíz, an accomplished photographer, graphic artist and designer.
Meet the judges
Gabriela Revilla Lugo
A dramedy feature/TV writer/director/producer and formerly undocumented immigrant, Gabby Revilla Lugo started her career in physical production. Through multiple indie endeavors, she began working with people like Damian Chazelle, Matthew Lillard, Jennifer Garner, and many more, producing many of their low-budget dream projects.
She made a name for herself producing films for Blumhouse, Limelight, Relativity, Sony, etc, and directed music videos, short documentaries, and even produced award-winning short-form narrative films like Whiplash. Recently, she produced the HULU/NEON hit Palm Springs, and Melissa McCarthy’s upcoming Netflix indie, The Starling, directed by Ted Melfi. While producing other people’s projects, she also participated in both the Fox Writers Program and The Disney Writers Program where she started to really hone her own writing craft, placing in the 10% of the Nicholls fellowship and eventually landing a job writing on ABC’s hit drama, A Million Little Things, while also teaching screenwriting at the prestigious, ScriptAnatomy school.
In 2021 she sold multiple podcasts, landed a studio writing job on a feature film, and currently has a TV show she’s developing with a major studio in conjunction with the OJALA team, lead by Tanya Saracho. She’s excited to continue telling Latine stories that exemplify more than just our trauma.
Angela María Ortíz S.
Born in Colón, Panamá and a resident of Los Angeles for more than fifty years, Angela is an accomplished graphic artist, designer, consultant in publishing and a dedicated art and photography curator and leader in the non-profit arts arena. Angela was part of the leadership of Reel Rasquache Art and Film Festival for over seven years; then from 2012-14 she was the co-director and curator of the Festival’s art exhibition.
In recent years, she has further expanded her reach to include work as a curator of a wide range of art exhibitions, including Shut Up & Shoot: A Photography Show of Unexpected Moments, Cityscapes, Landscapes & InBetween: A Black & White Photography Show.
She is the publisher of sefijaonline.com, a popular web site on films and pop culture. Her photographs and paintings are in many private collections.
Carlos Aguilar
Originally from Mexico City, Carlos Aguilar was chosen as one of 6 young film critics to partake in the first Roger Ebert Fellowship organized by RogerEbert.com, the Sundance Institute and Indiewire in 2014. Aguilar’s work has appeared in prestigious publications such as Los Angeles Times, Variety, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wrap, Indiewire, Vulture, RogerEbert.com, among others. He is a member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA).
Ana Lydia Monaco
Ana Lydia Monaco is the founder and president of Ana Lydia Productions, which launched in 2018. The production company focuses on creating branded & narrative films and commercials.
Fresh off producing VICE’s “Crimewave,” Monaco recently wrote, produced, and directed documentaries and branded campaign “An Artist at Work” for US Bank on behalf of Casanova McCann, the largest and most award-winning Hispanic-focused advertising agency. Prior, she Produced the Fall/Winter fashion campaign for GSTQ.com. During the Los Angeles lock-down, she also produced, directed, and wrote the SAG film “Lolas Journey.” The film has been selected for over nine US and international film festivals. The National Women’s Health Network endorsed the film.
From 2019 to 2020, Monaco was the Associate Producer on the feature comedy Guest House (#1 on Amazon Prime – Sept. 2020) and Production Coordinator on the sci-fi thriller 3022 (Top 10 Netflix – March 2020).
In 2019, Monaco worked with the Smithsonian to produce, write and direct “The Molinas” and featurettes displayed at the American History Museum. The documentary highlighted the Mexican American family that gave a $10mm contribution to opening the first Latino gallery. The film and featurettes are now an official part of the Smithsonian archives.
Monaco graduated with distinction from Art Center College of Design and completed a writers program at UCLA Extension. She also holds a Marketing degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and received ethical business leadership training from the Woodhull Institute. She is a Women in Film, Brown Girls Doc Media, and Femme Fatales member. Monaco is also a freelance writer for various publications, including Pipeline Artists.
She founded #WritersBrunch and #WritersGroup to connect with a diverse community of writers and guest lectured at the Art Center College of Design to give back to emerging filmmakers. Pre-shut-down, Monaco was an active volunteer with Free Art for Abused Children, Para los Ninos, and St. Monica’s Catholic Church.